Georgia waters opening to shrimping June 10

Test trawls caught shrimp large enough and in sufficient numbers to be of valuable for commerial and recreational fishermen, DNR says

BRUNSWICK, GA. | Georgia will open its waters for the commercial and recreational netting of food shrimp at 8 a.m. Tuesday, June 10, the state Department of Natural Resources said.

That means commercial trawlers can operate in Georgia’s territorial waters to the three-mile limit and individuals can use beach seines and cast nets to catch shrimp in waters where the shrimping gears are allowed.

The most recent coast-wide test trawls by the DNR’s Coastal Resources Division has turned up shrimp large enough for recreational harvesters and to be of value to commercial fishermen, said Jim Page, the biologist who supervises the sampling.

Although the count and size of shrimp is similar to that of recent years, Page said, “it appears the spawning period for shrimp was slightly delayed this year as a result of cooler than normal water temperatures.”

After taking all the survey results and input from the Shrimp Advisory Panel into account, Coastal Resources Division recommended the June 10 opening, and DNR Commissioner Mark Williams announced it.

Commercial trawlers may operate in state waters from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. Federal waters beyond the three-mile limit are open to trawling around the clock.

Certified bycatch reduction and turtle excluder devices are required in both state and federal waters.

Also, trawlers must observe 1,000-foot boating safety zones off the beaches of St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Jekyll Island and Tybee Island. From May 1 through Sept. 30, motorized craft are prohibited in those zones.

Also, the DNR is asking the public who catch Asian tiger shrimp to continue reporting the sightings on the website CoastalGaDNR.org/TigerShrimp.

“Many fishermen have provided us good information through this web-based reporting system. We need to gather information on this non-native species and learn more about the potential impacts it may have on our native shrimp population,’’ said Coastal Resources Division biologist Todd Mathes.

For more information on the shrimp harvest season or the tiger shrimp call Coastal Resources Division at (912) 264-7218.